Welcome Home!

I did it! I bought a new car, and by "new" I mean NEW!! :) I test drove it this morning, when its odometer read "0000007 miles." :)

She's a beaute... 2007 Nighthawk Black Pearl Honda Accord Sedan EXL V-6 with ivory leather interior.

I haven't named her yet, so I'm open to hearing your suggestions on the name. (I'm pretty sure she's female, but I'm open to considering other options as well.)

Busted!

It's late, and I should really be in bed; however, I need to catch you up on a few things...

1) Theresa and I swept leaves off the roof on Friday night. It was rather enjoyable, actually. It was unseasonably warm, and so we sat up there and chatted for awhile after we were done with our chore.

2) News Channel 8 showed up on my doorstep Friday night. They told me that the Tulsa PD had busted a house over in Sand Springs. Among other stolen property, my checkbook surfaced! They wanted to interview me for the 10 o'clock news! Not only did they come in and interview me about it all, they lead the news with the "exclusive" story and a live shot in front of my house! How crazy! They said it could take awhile for us to hear about or get any of our stuff back, but I'm hoping it won't be too long. I'm anxious to see what they've recovered!

3) We had The Gathering Christmas Party at my house last night. It was great fun... lots of people, lots of good food, a great way to celebrate the season. Now I feel like I'm home-free for Christmas. I have work and a concert this week, but that's about it!

4) Other interesting things may be afoot, but I can't be sure.

If I don't write again before then... MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Unflappable

Un·flap·pa·ble: marked by assurance and self-control

So, a friend of mine told me yesterday that I could have been Winston Churchill's mother. I'm still digesting that and trying to figure out if it was a compliment or not. :) But, he also used the word "unflappable" to describe me. (See definition above.) And tonight I went to a Christmas party. The host introduced everyone in a fairly unique way, and I was donned "Krista 'The Rock.'" So, I suppose I see the theme. In fact, it reminds me of a letter a friend wrote to me in college. He was going through some rough times and remarked that "You have been the one physical rock that has held me up and kept me from giving in! ... You are the strong one - but someday soon I'll be back home and you can lean on me!" I'm not sure that ever happened, but it sounded really nice. I think it'd be nice to lean into someone else for awhile and explore my softer side.

A REAL Kamikaze Drink

I don't want you to miss David's commentary and my childhood memory in a past comment. Check it out...

No Stone Unturned

So... I'm in a choir, and every time we begin new music they have practice CD's available for people to buy for $1. It seems like every time I'm short the dollar or have to scrounge for change, etc. So, at one of our rehearsals last month I specifically took a dollar bill and put it in my choir folder for the next go-around.

Tonight when I got to choir we started practicing our new music... Missa Solemnis by Beethoven, and as always, they had practice CD's out. I was so excited to pull out my dollar and show my choir friends that I had been responsible and kept back a dollar for the CD.

You probably guessed it... the dollar was GONE!!!!! :( Man, those thieves were thorough. I guess that explains why my music was strewn about my room during the ransack. It was only a dollar, but I'll tell you... THAT CHAPS MY HIDE!!!

The History of the Bible

I was reading from James last night… the verse about the “double-minded man.” Well, that reminded me that I had emailed a friend recently about that verse. I was fairly certain that I had looked that verse up in my old NIV Bible to make sure it was from James before sending the email. When I remembered that, I continued my detective work and pulled up that email to verify it had been sent on Monday the 20th. I usually don’t take the Bible from the house except for Sundays, and I don't believe I had taken that Bible from the house on the day of the Burglary (the 26th). So, more and more signs were pointing to the stolen Bible theory.

However, shortly after determining that, I searched my car one more time and found the beloved Scripture in the floorboard. :) It was a little cold and shaken up, but it’ll be okay. I will have had it 19 years this Christmas.

So, cross that one off the list!!

P.S. - RE: the comment cottage cheese comment in the last post... I know better than to test the viability of cottage cheese by tasting it. In fact, I won't touch any dairy product that is even close to expiring. Blegh! :( It makes me sick just thinking about it!

Car Update

To answer questions posed by Mike (disguised as an "Anonymous" commenter), no I have not yet purchased a new car. I have done some looking, but haven't pulled the trigger on anything yet. I have found something I like, though... a 2003 Nighthawk Black Pearl Honda Accord EXL V6 Sedan. I made an offer on one that had about 31,000 miles, but they wouldn't go as low as my offer. The salesman called the next day to say he had an identical car (with a few more miles on it) that he could take down to my price. I went and looked at it. It was okay... had about 46,000 miles on it and some damage to the paint on the back trunk. They were planning to fix the paint spot on the back, but I just didn't feel as good about that one. I think the salesman was frustrated with me, because I was still stuck on the other one. But, I'm glad I didn't do it, because I was looking on-line today and saw the second car listed in their inventory for $1500 LESS that my offer amount!!!!

I apologize if any of you reading this blog are or have been a used car salesman (... Mike... :) ...), but stuff like that makes me boil!!

No, I'm not pregnant! I swear!

Well... another update. Yesterday morning I started remembering what was included in a stack of cards that appear to be missing from my desk area. All I could think of was my voter registration card. But, it also contained several store-credit cards that I rarely use. When I thought of one... I thought of FOUR!! Yikes. So, I quickly got on the phone and started canceling cards. Only one had a balance... a Sears card. Apparently some charges were made on Monday (day after the burglary) and included some maternity items. :(

I just can't imagine what it might be like to live life like that... "honey, we really need to decorate the nursery for li'l Junior Gangster. Whose card should I use today?"

Btw... has anyone seen my blue, leather NIV Bible? I can hardly believe it was stolen, but I can't seem to locate it anywhere...

Hope everyone's staying warm. There's still lots of snow on the ground here. I've snowbound now for approximately 53.5 hours straight. I may have to bust outta here later!

Blue Danglies

Well, I haven't much felt like blogging this week... after the event of last Sunday night. For those of you who haven't heard, someone broke into my house. Fortunately we weren't here. Apparently a boy (juvenile) and girl were casing the neighborhood or something. They had noticed a purse or something in Theresa's car and were planning to steal it. Before they could do that, though, Theresa came out and left the house. So... they apparently went up and knocked on the door to determine no one was home before going around to the back and breaking in through the bathroom window.

Long story short, they ransacked the place looking for anything they could find that might be worth something. Unfortunately, some of the stuff they took was worth much, much more to me than it would be to anyone else. But, all-in-all, they really didn't get away with all that much. The police pulled them over (because the car had been described in connection with other burglaries) and recovered a portion of the stolen items... my camera and some jewelry.

Since then we've been cleaning and taking all the necessary precautions (changing accounts, rekeying locks, etc.). What a pain!

I like the way my friend Babs put it... "Wouldn't you rather they just write you a letter demanding money? You could just write them a check and be done with it." :)

Thank you to all of my friends and neighbors who have rallied around us in support! (Lesser thanks to the neighbors who the very next night decided to play outside circa 1:30 am and scare us with their screaming and barking dog.)

Commentary on the title... it's a description of the latest thing I've noted missing... a pair of blue dangly earrings I bought last time I was in La Jolla, CA. :(

Lured in...

Well, I've been lured in by myspace. I have a lot of friends who are out there, so I thought I'd update a profile. My page is pretty pathetic, so I'll have to work on it. However, never fear. I'm planning to keep my blog here at blogspot. I mean... it's been two years now. How can I leave when I've invested so much time here?

For those of you who are interested, my page on myspace is at the following address...

http://www.myspace.com/krista0818.

Love Rides the Rails

Theresa has a new quote for all you single ladies out there...

"The Love Train arrives promptly at noon for the girl who waits patiently."

I think it's probably best to be spoken by Barry White.

Enjoy!

Middle-Age

Well... it's official. I now own a robe, which in some circles qualifies me as a middle-aged adult. :)

But, it's warm and fuzzy, and even though it makes me look like an abominable snow woman, I love it!

430 Days of Laziness

I haven't felt well today, and yes... I know it's late, but I can't seem to sleep. Plus, I had something I wanted to blog about.

I was laying on my side in bed the other morning (maybe Saturday) thinking about how nice it was to lay there... just thinking, praying, enjoying the morning. As I thought I could lay there forever, a story came to mind. I was reminded of Ezekiel. I read the story recently about God calling Ezekial to prophesy to the Israelites. Among other things, God tells Ezekiel to lay on his left side for 390 days... one day for every year of Israel's rebellion. When he's done with that... he got to switch to his right side... another 40 days for Judah's rebellion.

Wow! Who can empathize with his initial response to God's call?...

"The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD upon me. I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Abib near the Kebar River. And there, where they were living, I sat down among them for seven days - overwhelmed." (Ezekiel 3:14-15)

I think he may have sat there longer, only the LORD snapped him out of it by giving him the 430-day instructions.

So... why is it such a popular notion that God's plan for each of us is to make us happy? The Bible is chock full of stories of God calling men and women to do things that seemed contrary to their logic and unlikely to make them happy...

Abraham - God asked him to move from his home (um... out of his comfort zone) and later to sacrifice his son

Moses - God asked him to lead the Israelites out of slavery (do you remember how many times Moses argued with God over that one?)

Mary - have God's son (how would you like to face the questions/ridicule about that one?)

There's a quote I love... maybe by A.W. Tozer, though I'm not positive... "God's will isn't always easy, but it's always right."

May you and I answer God's call no matter the consequence.

In other words... darling, kiss me

It's late. I won't write long, but I thought I'd catch you up since my last post. Of note...

1) A good friend of mine from Emporia came to visit this weekend. :) I hadn't seen her in quite awhile, so it was good to catch up. Our major activities included going to a Mark Schultz concert and making homemade Christmas cards.

2) I got to shake Mark Schultz's hand. It was mainly by accident. He was out greeting some of the folks in the audience prior to the show, and I was simply trying to find my seat. As I was walking past him, he stuck out his hand and shook me. He sure is lucky! I don't give out handshakes as freely as he apparently does. ;)

3) The Christmas card making was fun! I don't get too many opportunities to be really creative, so I enjoyed that. If you're lucky, you might just get one in the mail (if I can part with them.)

4) I've looked at a few cars but haven't decided on anything yet. I'm leaning toward an Accord or Camry at this point.

Okay. I'm too tired to write any more. G'night...

Aunt Krista & Erin (and jack-o-lanterns)

Natalie

Avery

Deer Diary,

I thought I'd update you on the weekend festivities. I've been to KC and back since I last blogged. It was good (as always) to see my dear little nieces. They are growing like weeds! (I may have some pics worth posting...)

The real excitement for the weekend:

As if my car was beat-up enough, I hit a deer in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Fortunately it wasn't head-on. (I likely wouldn't have survived to type this blog.) It was more of a side-swiping. It banged up the driver-side of my car... doors, side panels, etc. It knocked off the driver's side mirror and cracked the windshield. My backdoor no longer opens from the outside and the driver's window no longer rolls down. (That makes drive-thrus, ATMs and turnpike entrances a bit more complicated.) With the previous hail and hit-and-run damage, I think it's time to start looking for a new (to me) car. I'll take any suggestions you may have.

Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!

Krista

MIA

My home (cordless) phone has gone missing. I last remember using it when I was messing with the lid to my oil tank in my car. So, I'm not sure what happened. I realized it was gone later that night (after taking the car out). I tried to call it, but to no avail. Maybe it escaped from the safety of the house?

Regardless, I now only have a "cord-ed" phone to use. That's just more proof that I should drop the land line. I guess I need to (literally) "cut the cord." :)

Oh to be in Honduras....

I shoulda gone. :(

Fantasy World

I know it's late (or rather... "early"), but I had some thoughts rolling around and wanted to commit them to writing.

First of all, I've been dwelling on a statement this week... "We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners." It seems somewhat harsh, and yet I believe it's probably a true statement. "To sin" is an action, but "being a sinner" describes one's character. So, tonight, I was thinking of the story in Luke 7, where a woman pours perfume on Jesus' feet. Jesus concludes by saying that those who have been forgiven much love much and that "he who has been forgiven little loves little." I always felt kind of like that person who had been forgiven little. I mean, my sins are "little sins"... not thinking of others first, not fully trusting God, watching too much TV, etc. I know Jesus died for my sins, but I'm not doing too bad on my own.

(I'm feeling fairly heretical writing this, but please hang with me...)

I was thinking tonight of a paper I wrote in high school. I'm not sure what the assignment was, but I titled my paper, "Fluctuations in a World of Placidity." (Gotta love a thesaurus in the hands of nerdy high school student!) The point I made in the paper was how I've had it pretty easy in life... no major trauma or road blocks to work through. And, it's not that life has been all rosy since then, but I still don't have much to complain about. This past month or two, I've had my eyes opened to some of the frightening realities that others have had to deal with and live through. What must it be like to be abused (in any number of ways), to not have parents to love and nurture, to walk through life completely alone, to worry all the time about surviving from day to day? I can't begin to imagine what that must be like. But, again, so many of those things are results of there being sin in this world. I've been very protected.

It's been fairly easy in life for me to ignore my sinful nature and the effects of sin in our world. It's much more comfortable for me to wear blinders and pretend that things are pretty much okay in the world. But then again... if that's true, why did Christ have to die? Here's another quote about sin and grace that shakes me up a bit...

"It is impossible for us to know how profound God's grace is until we grasp the pervasiveness of sin."

So, in terms of sin in the world... it's becoming more and more painfully obvious that sin is running rampant and that we ourselves are helpless to change it. And as for MY sin... maybe I'm still working on that. But this past year, I've faced up to the gravity of sins of omission. We tend to talk more about the sins we commit, but I've come to think that the things we DON'T do are even more of a problem. For example, my selfishness may result in a sin of commission, but it also keeps me from sharing God's love and forgiveness with others. Or, if I mistreat my body (God's temple), I may not remain healthy enough to spread God's Word as he desires. So, I have a LONG, LONG way to go... and I can't get there on my own. So....

God, slap me with the reality of my own sin, and then let me love you all the more for your redeeming grace.

The White Lion

I just returned from The White Lion, an English pub here in town. It's been on "my list" (the list of places I'd like to go) for years, but I just now made it by. It's an absolute must. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get there. It's what you might expect from an English pub... quaint, dark colors, English food, lots of alcohol and good friends. It's a great place for just sitting and talking about the world's problems.

I can't wait to go again!

World's Most Famous Novel...

I received an ad in the mail for a sort of book club. It said...

"The world's most famous novel...
by the world's most famous author..."

What do you think it might be?

Today is my Sabbath

Yesterday was the Grand Opening for The Gathering. I talked to our pastor early in the day and said, "I'm really excited, and at the same time I can't wait for it to be over." It's been really busy lately... leading up to this move and our Grand Opening. We had a great turnout last night... just over 200 people, I think! It was great to have so many friends and family out to support us. Quite a few folks from our parent church showed up, too, so it was good to have them there! We also had a lot of visitors. I'm hoping they didn't feel lost in the shuffle. Hopefully they'll be back again next week so we can really get to know them!

I got home about 11 PM last night and crashed. I felt like I could hardly even walk anymore, as I had been on my feet most of the afternoon and evening. So, with the new full-days on Sundays, I've decided to start taking Mondays off. This one was DEFINITELY needed. I think I slept until 11:30 AM!! I've also been reading and practicing my TOC music. (We have a concert on Saturday.) As I was reading, I happened across this...

"Sabbath is taking a day a week to remind myself that I did not make the world and that it will continue to exist without my efforts.

Sabbath is a day when my work is done, even if it isn't.

Sabbath is a day when my job is to enjoy. Period

Sabbath is a day when I am fully available to myself and those I love most.

Sabbath is a day when I remember that when God made the world, he saw that it was good.

Sabbath is a day when I produce nothing.

Sabbath is a day when I remind myself that I am not a machine.

Sabbath is a day when at the end I say, 'I didn't do anything today,' and I don't add, 'And I feel so guilty.'

Sabbath is a day when my phone is turned off, I don't check my email, and you can't get ahold of me."

(That's from Rob Bell's book, "Velvet Elvis")

So, I'm trying to learn those things... and God helps me some. I was going to mow the lawn today, but it's been raining all day. :) (Thanks, Papa!)

Enjoy your Sabbath!

Krista

Nakidity

I got a babysitting gig tonight. :) Actually, I watched my honorary nephew, Seth, while his parents went to a concert. It felt sorta junior-highish. First of all, I went to their house. (I've always watched him here at my house in the past.) Then, Matt and JW joined me for a bit. I teased them that, "I might get in trouble if Tim & Laurel get back and find out I had a party at their house." ;) JW brought some key lime pie. Mmmmmm...

After Seth went to sleep and the company was gone I got to watch "Ren & Stimpy." I haven't watched it in forever, so it was nice to catch. They were camping in one episode, and (among other things) they went skinny dipping in a lake. Stimpy stripped down from his skin (since he doesn't really wear clothes anyway). Ren was very embarrassed, though, because he was afraid someone would see them. And, of course, that happened... other people joined in the fun as soon as they were in the lake. One of the unwelcomed guests said "it's so nice to meet others who feel comfortable with their own nakidity."

Okay, I'm tired. Have a good night, y'all!

Diagnosis Murder

From the comments on my last post, it appears I have a lot to learn about boys. (No real surprise there.)

So, Theresa (my roommate) likes to watch "Diagnosis Murder." It's the cheesy detective show with the aging Dick Van Dyke. I can't figure out exactly why she watches it, because she's very young... quite a bit younger than I am. She made a comment about me making fun of the show one night. I told her, "I'm not so much making fun of the show as I'm making fun of YOU." :)

I guess she used to watch it with her dad or something. (So, I'm inclined to accept that as a valid reason for liking the show, because I have the same feelings about "Rockford Files." I used to watch that with my dad when I was very young.) Anyway, in the course of watching the show one night, I asked her, "have you ever noticed the commercials they play during this show?" Then we spent the remainder of the night laughing at the AARP, Medicare, ED and other Wilford Brimley commercials.

You'll be happy to note that we're both fairly hooked now.

(JK)

Bowling Update

Game #1: 130

Game #2: 94

It's been said that the absence of a Y-chromosome is supposed to give a human being the willingness to allow the opposite sex to win at any game or competition. I don't believe I have that trait. Now, granted, you probably wonder if I don't given my poor bowling scores above; however, I was playing with four guys. I had the high score in Game #1, and only one person scored a higher score (135) in Game #2.

I used to play chess with a guy-friend of mine in college. I beat him in our first three games. I thought he was kidding when he was pouting on the couch after his third defeat, but I came to realize he was not kidding. He was crushed. So, I did the unthinkable... I threw the next game... lost on purpose. Well, I could never get it back. I probably lost the next 30 games we played, despite my every effort to win. I always thought that was my penance for throwing game four.

So, I don't think I've thrown a game since. Sorry boys! :) But the way I look at it... who wants their ego boosted artificially?

Philippians 2:3-4

The verse I'm currently memorizing...

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others."

That's so hard to do! I get caught up in accomplishing my agenda instead of seeking to serve others and looking out for their interests. I'm going to work towards less agenda and more listening/loving. Call me out when I'm not doing that!

Forever and Ever, Amen

A nice change this evening. A friend called late in the day and had tickets to a Randy Travis concert tonight. (Practicing the advice given by Chelle in the last post.) I'm not a huge fan, though I know a good number of his songs. But, it was nice to get out of the house for an evening. I enjoyed two songs the most... "Forever and Ever, Amen" and "If I Didn't Have You."

It's also reminded me of a song I used to love by George Strait... "What Do You Say to That?" I just downloaded it from itunes and have it on permanent repeat. :)

Krista

The Black Tie Bingo Disco Ball

Well, I just discovered (or had confirmed) today that to most guys the phrase "rain check," when uttered/written by any girl in response to an invitation to do something, translates "no... not now... not ever."

That's really unfortunate, because I'm sure I've used that very phrase... more than once... when I truly would have been interested but had other commitments I couldn't break. I guess the reasoning behind that masculine theory is that for the "right guy" a girl will be willing to rearrange any previous engagements. I dunno... couldn't it also mean that she has integrity and fulfills her commitments?

So... what are the right words then? I obviously need some coaching. :)

CB Revisited

You may want to check out the comments in the recent CAR-meen-uh post. A wretched grammar (spelling) troll got in there.

A Quote for the Record Books

I visited with Mom this afternoon on the phone. She said at one point, referring to her concerns about sleeping all night in a camper with some kind of tent warmer, and I quote...

"We didn't want to wake up dead."

Hee, hee. Love you, Mums!! :)

The hair on a wart of a frog

Check out this quote...

"I have heard it said, 'God didn't die for frogs. So he was responding to our value as humans.' This turns grace on its head. We are worse off than frogs. They have not sinned. They have not rebelled and treated God with the contempt of being inconsequential in their lives. God did not have to die for frogs. They aren't bad enough. We are. Our debt is so great, only a divine sacrifice could pay for it."

- John Piper, The Passion of Jesus Christ

CAR-meen-uh

Last week. Where did it go? It was quite a blur.

Last week was our performance of Carmina Burana... with the Tulsa Ballet and the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra. It was a crazy collection of groups and performers, and it came together quite nicely. But, it made for a demanding schedule... practices or performances every night from the 18th through the 25th. Plus... work has been crazy as The Gathering has been preparing for its move to a rented facility.


EXCERPTS FROM THE TULSA WORLD...

Ballet shines in golden performance
By JAMES D. WATTS JR.
World Scene Writer
9/25/2006

Even more important was that this production showed what Tulsa as a whole is capable of when it comes to the performing arts. While this was Tulsa Ballet's season opener, it was also a collaborative effort among the dance company, the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra, the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus and the Tulsa Children's Chorus. That's what is needed to present something like "Carmina Burana," which Cong set to Carl Orff's massive "dramatic cantata." It's usually presented strictly as a work for chorus and orchestra, but Orff envisioned the piece as multi-discipline extravaganza, combining instrumental and vocal music with movement and theater.

A number of choreographers have created a "Carmina Burana," usually taking their inspiration from the often bawdy medieval lyrics that, because they're sung in Latin, sound more like religious texts than songs about spring and sex, gambling and boozing.

Cong's version of "Carmina Burana" is more abstract, more guided by music than words. What happened on stage may have been on occasion at odds with what was begin sung, but it fit perfectly with the sounds one heard, as if giving physical form to the emotions these syllables and notes evoke.

The performances by the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus, arranged on the wings of the Chapman Music Hall stage, and the Tulsa Children's Chorus, who sang behind scrims at the back of the stage, were excellent -- full of power and drama, subtlety and emotion.

Conductor Carmon DeLeone brought all the elements on stage together with style and deceptive ease. The Tulsa Symphony responded winningly to his urgent, driving tempi (this was one of the fastest "Carmina Buranas" we've heard), and the balance among instruments and voices was superb.

Roses are Red...

Yes, they are. There are a dozen sitting on my dining room table. (One of the benefits of having a roommate, I guess.)

So I just finished reading "A Grief Observed" by C.S. Lewis. I'm not sure why I wanted to read it. I haven't really been suffering through grief or anything. But, I enjoy C.S. Lewis and I was curious as to the book. It's a short piece... only four chapters long, not even 80 pages. He had some interesting thoughts. A short excerpt...

"Can a mortal ask questions which God finds unanswerable? Quite easily, I should think. All nonsense questions are unanswerable. How many hours are there in a mile? Is yellow square or round? Probably half of the questions we ask - half our great theological and metaphysical problems - are like that."

Paperless

A friend of mine is paperless tonight. :)

Embroidery

Theresa crochets, which has encouraged me to pick up some embroidery that I've long been neglecting. It's been fairly enjoyable to have someone to watch TV and sew with. In fact, we've talked of starting some sort of sewing circle, though I'm not sure what the details of that might look like.

It's been another trying week, but for different reasons. Things seemed to have evened out today, so hopefully we have mostly sunny skies ahead of us. The weather has been absolutely perfect... between 60 and 85 degrees... sunny... light breeze. Beeeeaaaaauuuuutiful!! Reminds me of La Jolla. I'm somewhat tempted to hop a plane; however, I suppose I should enjoy Tulsa and save the La Jolla trips for the times it's nearly unbearable here.

I was reminded yesterday that next month is the month I could have taken a trip to Honduras. I suppose not going is the right decision given the fact I should be watching what I spend. But... making an escape sounds somewhat inviting. I guess I can escape for a weekend on some sort of camping trip. Okay, fam, when are we going? :)

A Ray of Hope

You've been praying, haven't you? Today was a much better day... for the most part. I think R is slowly but surely opening up to God. She prayed today... took the first steps. :) She's spent much of her life hating God, so that's really something to celebrate! Keep praying for her. There's still a long road ahead and things are touch-and-go with her brother.

On a brighter note...

... the nose is healing fairly nicely. :)

Lonesome Valleys

So, it's been an interesting week. I have a friend who's brother tried to commit suicide. He's in the hospital, not doing very well. She suffers from depression anyway, so it's been a tough week for her. I also think depression may be contagious, so it's been kind of a rough week (or 36 hour period at this point) for me, too.

Please be praying for R... and K (me).

Krista

My nose, my nose, my kingdom for a nose!

Well, well, well. Do I have a story for you...

Once upon a time, last Sunday to be exact, I came home late from having dinner with a friend after church. It was getting late (circa 11 pm), and I was dragging. I had been up to KC for the weekend and had stripped down my bed before leaving town. I was fairly exhausted and rationalized that making my bed would just wake me up. Since Theresa (my new roommate) was out of town for the evening, I decided to grab a sheet and blanket and hunker down on the couch for the night. Well... shortly after midnight I heard someone at the door. I figured it must be Theresa. I didn't want to startle her, plus I figured there was a slight chance it WASN'T Theresa, so I sprang to my feet to escape to my bedroom. Well, before I got far, I apparently tripped over my bedding and went sprawling to the floor... breaking my fall primarily with my nose. I grabbed the bedding again and made my escape to my bedroom... where I promptly locked the door, dropped my bedding and headed for my bathroom to assess the facial damage. As suspected, there was blood dripping down my face and a nice wound on my nose. I wadded up some tissue and tried to stop the bleeding. At the same time, I went to the bedroom door, and without opening it, called out, "Theresa? Theresa?" (No answer.) "Theresa?" (No answer.) I could see that there was a light on in the house, and I could hear a search helicopter flying over the house. Great... SOMEONE'S on the loose, and there's SOMEONE in my house who's not responded to my calls. I decided to call Theresa on her cell phone. She had simply stepped outside, so came back in to ask if I was trying to call her. "Yes. Yes, I am," said Krista with a busted nose.

I spent the next hour or so holding back tears, stopping the bleeding and icing down my nose, while Theresa kindly made my bed so I could sleep safely the rest of the night.

It's been someone swollen and painful this week, though it's starting to look better. It's a pretty obvious flesh wound and has been somewhat embarrassing this week. I've told a range of other stories, ranging from a nasty bar fight to a fight with the new roomie, to a freak accident involving a letter opener. :)

So, now you know. Though it's against my better judgment, I may try to post a pic for you. So, the moral of the story is this... don't run through a dark house carrying bedding.

Made it!!

You're reading the blog of one of the newest members of the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus. :)

Babs and I both made it! She'll be joining the Alto I section, and I will be a proud member of the Alto II section.

Rehearsals start Monday and get a bit hairy in September.

Mark your calendars!! :)

Bulls & Cows

I'm looking for a dream interpreter. Any Josephs out there? :)

So, last night I had a dream. Among other things, a bull and a cow were laying on the ground close to each other. At some point, the bull wanted to harrass the cow. Instead of taking it, like I somehow believe cows would do, this cow decided to take the bull on. She charged at the bull (or somehow attempted to attack). The bull lost his footing, fell and ended up piercing or breaking one of his legs. It was obvious in the dream that the bull would have to be put down.

What do you make of that?

~Krista

P.S. - Happy Birthday, Bro! Can't wait to see you on Saturday!

Why is it?

Why is it I can think of all kinds of interesting things to write about when I'm laying in bed at night... or in the middle of something during the day. When it comes to sitting down at my computer, all topics of interest fly out of my head... leaving me with nothing interesting to write.

So... I could tell you about the weekend. It was fairly busy; however, there's nothing too noteworthy.

But... tomorrow night... I have a vocal audition. I guess that's worth writing about. I'm going to audition for the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus. I've wanted to join it every since I moved to Tulsa, but I've either been too busy or have chickened out when the auditions near. Last week, a friend (Babs) emailed me to see if I would be auditioning. So... we're both going to audition tomorrow night. I'm going to sing "Caro mio ben." It's been forever since I've had to sing like that. I'm quite out of practice. But, I'm hoping it will be enough to convince the director that I'm worthy of singing in the choir.

You might say a prayer for me, if you think of it! :)

A Vant to Suck Your Blood

You'll be happy to know that I gave blood last week... potentially saving up to three lives. :)

My first experience giving blood wasn't very positive, but this one was without incident. I think I shall probably do it again.

Going Pro!

I went bowling tonight with some friends. We bowled two games, and my scores were average (for me)... 112 and 138, I think. But... I ended the first game with three strikes! Then, I started the next game with three strikes!!

You can tell by my overall scores that I'm NOT a great bowler, so that was a pretty exciting run... two turkeys for the evening!

Hope your evening was just as eventful!

R-Day

Well... today's the day. My new roommate... housemate, actually, is moving in. It's been quite awhile since I've lived with anyone... eight years exactly. So, it could be quite an adventure!

Other events of the week... I had a nice allergic reaction on my FACE this week. I think it may have been some wayware jalapeno juice. (I made mango salsa last weekend.) I think it's finally subsided (thankfully!). I had some nice bags under my eyes. :3) ---> (that's me with bags under my eyes)

I'm sure I have other news, but it's not coming to mind right now.

All Your Base Are Belong to Us!

Dave's post made me think of the subject line. AYBABTU has an interesting history.

For more Engrish...

Who's in charge here?

Our pastor at The Gathering is out this week, so when we had two odd men show up tonight and ask me "who is in charge here," I was forced to answer... "um... I suppose that would be me." One of the guys was there to serve someone with divorce papers. The other man was his "bodyguard."

I didn't recognize the name of the woman they were supposed to serve, and they seemed to think she was somewhat mentally unstable and could go into some kind of rage. Geesh... just what we need at a Sunday night service... when I'm pseudo-in-charge. I finally convinced them to step back into the office (out of the lobby where everyone was entering). I talked to them a bit more and finally pulled in one of the guys to assist me. We felt pretty certain (due to the information they gave us) that this person has never been to The Gathering and probably would not be there tonight. I guess they finally believed us, because they finally left without a scene.

Very strange. I wonder what right a religious establishment has to protect its members from being served divorce papers directly before or during a service?

Christmas in July

So, I drove down to Falls Creek yesterday morning. Half of my family was there with the youth from Parkway Baptist Church in KCK. So, I went down, met them for lunch, hung out, spent the night and left to come home this morning. Overall it was an enjoyable trip. Natalie is cute as ever! However, during the night, two people were sick and vomiting. (Mom had apparently been sick earlier in the week.) Michelle was one... she was up two or three times during the night, and apparently one of the youth boys was, too. So, they seemed to be dropping like flies this morning, as another girl was feeling ill. It reminded me of this past Christmas, when we spent the whole time passing around a stomach virus. I think I've avoided this one. However, it seems to strike mainly at night. So... I guess I'll let you know in the morning!

Ion... I grilled myself a fine dinner tonight... chicken with a sort of peach glaze on it. I also grilled peaches and corn with it. It turned out pretty good, though I either didn't let the coals "cook" long enough or something... seems like it took forever to finish everything. I even put the chicken in the oven for a bit after taking it off the grill. But, it was all yumsters. And... I have leftovers for days to come. :) I also cut up more stuff for mango salsa. I guess I was feeling fairly domestic today!

The Pop-In

Well... Brett (see two posts back) popped his head into my office today. He asked if he could use a phone. I asked him how he's been doing, and it sounds like his friend has put him up for the time being.

He didn't talk long but thanked me for the water the other day. Then he was gone.

The Protected Heart

I found this poem, scribbled on a yellow Post-It note. I'm not sure when I wrote it, but I thought you might enjoy it....

The Protected Heart

The protected heart - what an undeserved blessing!

But how does it know?

How does it know how to be greatful for not experiencing

what so many others have experienced?

How does it understand what it cannot feel?

What is has not been shown?

How can it speak of the wonders of

God's healing and forgiveness until it has hurt?

God, cause the protected heart to long for you.

Brett

Brett is the name of the homeless man I met today. I happened to be on the Channel 2 News this morning... helping the weatherman with some weather-related experiements. It's there that I learned today may possibly be the hottest day of the entire year.

Jump ahead to this afternoon. I returned home this afternoon after having lunch with a friend and noted a guy sitting on the curb in front of one of my neighbors' houses. It seemed a bit odd, because he was just sitting there. He had a sort of rolling bag with him. I pulled into my garage and hoped he wouldn't follow me up to my house. When I got in, I peeked out the front window and noted that he was still sitting there. It's such a hot day... a terrible day to be outside with nothing to drink.

I decided to take him a drink. I'm one of those people who would sincerely like to help people broken down at the side of the road but don't feel it's a "safe" thing to do in this current day and age... especially for a young woman. (Yes, I know the "young" part could be debatable.) But, he looked harmless enough, and he was sitting right out in the street... in the broad daylight... in the middle of my neighborhood... probably with all of my neighbors witnessing. So, I filled a plastic container with ice and water and walked it out to him. He got up as I walked toward him, and I handed him the water... asked if he was doing okay. He didn't drink the water for a bit, and he finally told me that he didn't want to get the container dirty. I told him he could keep the container, so please drink up. It was SOOOOO hot!

He was apparently headed to another area of town (a couple of miles away) to meet a friend of his. He was coming from his grandmother's house, but it was obvious he had just stopped in to visit her... not staying with her. He hoped his friend might put him up, though he hadn't yet received an invitation. He works at a local restaurant but doesn't get many hours. He apparently used to be a welder but didn't keep up his license (or whatever welding requires). He asked me where I went to church, and he said he's seen our sign. He didn't make it tonight, but I invited him to drop in any time.

Our neighborhood can be a bit tricky to maneuver due to a drainage ditch down through the middle of it, so I walked him part of the way through the neighborhood and pointed him on to a walking trail that would help him get through. We shared a few more thoughts about God, and I had a chance to pray with him.

I was blessed to share the time with him. It reminds me how fortunate I am to have a roof over my head, food to eat, water to drink and a few dollars in my pocket. And, it's taken a type of person who I couldn't have imagined being able to talk to and turned him into a real person.

Please be praying for Brett. I hope maybe our paths will cross again some time.

There's a reason I'm not dating :)

Every week of this season of softball, I've promised myself to get some new cleats. My old ones are from HIGH SCHOOL!! That makes them way too old to be wearing anymore. They're practically disintegrating beneath my feet. So, I ran by Shoe Carnival at lunch today, but they only had MEN'S cleats. (I later found out that men's and women's cleats are exactly the same.)

So, right before the game, I stopped by Academy Sports. The guy who helped me was pointing out all of the options. He was asking which color I preferred (red, white, blue or black). I told him "Oh, I'm..." He tried to finish my sentence... "flexible?" Um... "Well, I was going to say 'easy,' but..." He kind of smiled and made some comment like, "easy, huh?" (I'm retarded.) Anyway, I was leaning toward either the white or black shoes. He kept saying, "I think the white ones would really look good on you." Either way, I tried them both on. He still preferred the white ones. And then came the digging line... "I'm sure your boyfriend would like the white ones."

So, most girls probably would have either straightened him out or taken the bait. Krista's response: "ya think?" (or something similarly non-committal). Anyway, I couldn't get a very good read on him. What do I know about the guy from Academy? Exactly!! That's ALL I know... he works at Academy. Anyway, I suck at flirting... except for the "I'm easy" line, I suppose. And a fella's in for quite a rude awakening if he thinks that's true! I fear the opposite is more likely the case. (For the record... I don't have a flirting repertoire, but if I did "I'm easy" would not be in it!) ;)

Who turned out the lights?!?!

So I had two softball games last night. It's was so hot and humid... we were at least fortunate to play the late games (8:30 and 9:30). It was so sweaty and sticky. Yuck! But, we won our first game. It was a close game, but the last inning we pulled ahead by nine runs to finish them off!

Second game got started shortly after 9:30. We hadn't been playing long at all... batted once and took the field. We were standing there waiting for the first pitch when suddenly all of the lights (on every one of the fields) went out! It was the craziest thing... pitch black!! It was pretty wild... nine fields, two teams and umps on each field, plus our adoring fans... probably 300-400 people out there in complete darkness. Some people were laughing and running around. Our eyes finally adjusted a bit, but for quite awhile, we couldn't see a darned thing. We just sorta felt our way back to the dugout and stands. It was actually kind of fun. I wanted to go lay out in the outfield and look at the stars, but I couldn't find any takers for that activity. Instead we went to Braums.

HITD - Take II

More thoughts from the last post...

You know... As I was looking at that book today, I was thinking about how there's a whole world out there that needs the love of Jesus. I know there are people right here in Tulsa who need Jesus, too, but the basic human needs are so much more pronounced in other areas of the world. Anyway, sometimes I think it would be so easy to pick up and go. Then I sort of laughed as I was thinking of the locale of this latest read... Africa! Isn't that Mom's greatest fear... that God would send her little girl to Africa? ;)

Anyway... I haven't made any plans to leave just yet. But, I am becoming more and more aware of the human atrocities in the world. It seems there should be something done about them. I've been so encouraged by others who are taking an active role.

Sleep on that for a bit,

Krista

Hope in the Dark

I've been looking through a (picture) book today about the crises in Africa, "HOPE in the DARK." It's a beautiful book - photographs by Jeremy Cowart and reflections by Jena Lee.

Here's an excerpt, a comment by an African man:

"We know that Americans pity Africans," he told me. "But sometimes I think AFricans pity Americans."

"How so?" I asked him.

"Americans seem to expect that everything will be provided for them For us," he said, "this ear of corn is a gift from God. This evening's rain is a shower of mercy upon us. This healthy breath is life-giving. And, maybe tomorrow we will not have such things, but our hearts are so full from God's provision."

Vocabulary

Can't think of much else to post, so I'll list a few of my absolute favorite vocabulary words...

serendipity
stellar
tepid
abecedarian
svelte
vicissitude
efficacious

Speaking of Word Verification...

... does anyone else have difficulty reading the letters at times? Obviously they're supposed to be written in a funky sort of way, but I often find myself getting confused between the i's and j's. They always seem to post, though, so maybe I'm better at breaking the encryption than I think. :)

Soaked to the Bone

Well, I made an unfortunate decision to head to the grocery store tonight. It was late, but I decided it would probably be another week unless I went tonight. Just as I arrived to the store, two or three huge raindrops hit my windshield. I thought about turning back around, but again... I need food.

During my shopping excursion, I could hear the giant drops pounding against the metal roof. I hoped that if I took long enough the rain would let us. No such luck. I stood at the exit hoping for a reprieve but quickly determined it would be quite a long while yet. So, I made a mad dash but even gave up on that. I was pretty drenched. Not only that, all of my food and toilet paper got a pretty good soaking. But, all that said, it's a nice storm. Good deep, heart involving thunder. Steady drops of rain. It really is lovely.

Another odd thing, though. As I was loading my food/paper goods onto the conveyor belt, the two guys behind me started unloading their stuff. That's fine and all, but they didn't even give me enough room to finish putting my stuff on the belt. I laid down the bar for them, but finally had to hold the rest of my groceries until the checker was ready for them. It seemed a bit odd to me. And their cart was nearly in the way of me even paying for my groceries. I don't know if they were in a hurry or if they just weren't concerned about anyone around them. (I'm guessing the latter.)

Well, I may do some reading, or watch Seinfeld or balance my checkbook. All three sound enjoyable. No? :)

Verses

I know... I've been bad lately about blogging. :) But, maybe I don't have much to say. I would, however, like to leave with you these two verses...

Proverbs 25:28

"Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control."

Psalm 90:14

"Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days."

My blog is worth $2,258.16.
How much is your blog worth?

Up-to-Date

Wow! It's only been a bit over a month since I've blogged, but so much has happened during that time!

Update 1: Because some of your have asked... Sean (the DJ) took a job in Dayton, OH. He's already moved and everything. We had a pretty full week of farewell parties before he left. Now he's in the process of getting plugged in to Dayton. (We in Tulsa are still hoping God may have plans to bring him back to us again.)

Update 2: Um... I'm not sure how I haven't blogged about it yet, but I changed jobs!! I've gone to work for The Gathering full-time! My title is "Director of Operations and Connection Ministries." I'm basically the Church Administrator but also help with our small group ministry, following up with visitors, membership, etc. I had been looking into the possibility of going part-time, but that didn't seem feasible. So, I took the plunge. It really is quite a crazy deal... a faith adventure, for sure! I'm really enjoying it so far, though I'm learning all of the nuances of working for a non-profit organization. It struck me that it's my friends who are now paying my salary, so that's kind of strange. And, it's really easy for me to take criticism of The Gathering very personally. So... more to come on all of that. :)

Update 3: I've now been to Guatemala and back. It was a very nice trip, and I'm so glad I got to go. I'm still recovering a bit. I had some allergy problems... most likely from the vast amounts of mold in our hotel room. But, we got the (metal-framed) building put up in about 2.5 days. It was really amazing to see the variety of different people helping on the project - construction workers, college students, friends and families, people from the Mayan community, etc... different ages, different ethnic groups, different socio-economic groups. It was really cool. The Mayan community (called "Chuisajcup") threw a big celebration to dedicate the building. It was so much fun to be involved in that. It included fireworks, native dancing, a meal and much more. They had decorated the building with palm branches, pine needles and balloons. It was very festive! I'll try to write more about it later... maybe post a few pics from the trip.

That pretty much brings things up to date. I'm sure there's more to write about, but I'll save that for another day!

Blog Updates...

I've posted the mp3's from my two recent radio broadcasts. Check them out directly below and in my Brain Freeze blog.

On a sad note, my friend Sean was let go last week from that radio station (through no fault of his own). So... my days in the limelight are over. :( But seriously... please do be in prayer for Sean. I trust God is in control (as does he), but he just recently moved to Tulsa for this job. And, we're hoping to keep him here!!!

Purse Parties

Well... I'm just a radio star, and I got a bit more air time this go-round. Check it out!

God's Blogs

I was recently given and have been reading a delightful little book called, "God's Blogs" by Lanny Donoho. It takes a stab at the question, "what might God say on His blogsite?" Too many people in our world feel that God is no longer relevant. (How sad.) It's been neat to read through "God's blog" and be reminded why God created me in the first place, how much He loves me and what He truly desires for my life. I AM is the God of yesterday, TODAY and tomorrow!

I give it two thumbs up... especially if you're a blogger like me!! :)

Straight from my desktop...

Psalm 63
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.

O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.
I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.
They who seek my life will be destroyed;
they will go down to the depths of the earth.
They will be given over to the sword
and become food for jackals.
But the king will rejoice in God;
all who swear by God's name will praise him,
while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

Black Coffee

Um... right... they OBVIOUSLY don't know how I DRINK my coffee. :)

You are a Black Coffee

At your best, you are: low maintenance, friendly, and adaptable At your worst, you are: cheap and angsty You drink coffee when: you can get your hands on it Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

Can anyone tell me...

Why did all of my fonts suddenly become large? Did I hit something? I'm very frustrated right now. :(

iTunes Game

Instructions: Put your music player on shuffle. Press forward for each question. Use the song title as the answer to the question. No cheating!

How am I feeling today? "Joyful, Joyful" by Lauryn Hill

Will I get far in life? "Play that Funky Music" by Wild Cherry

How do my friends see me? "March to the Scaffold" from Symphonie Fantastique by Berlioz

Where will I get Married? "Come Away with Me" by Norah Jones

What is my best friend's theme song? "The Past is Another Land" from Aida

What is the story of my life? "Green Eyes" by Coldplay

What is/was high school like? "O Fortuna" from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff

How can I get ahead in life? "Where the Streets have no Name" by U2

What is the best thing about me? "Mighty is the Power of the Cross" by Chris Tomlin

How is today going to be? "The Secret Circle" by Kevin Max

What is in store for this weekend? "Allelujah" from the Exultate Jubilate by Mozart

What song describes my parents? "Who am I?" by Casting Crowns

To describe my grandparents? "All by Myself" by Celine Dion

How is my life going? "Hide Away" by Rock Kills Kid (where'd that come from?)

What song will they play at my funeral? "Peel me a Grape" by Diana Krall

How does the world see me? "La Luna" by Sarah Brightman

Will I have a Happy Life? "Clumsy" by Chris Rice

What do my friends really think of me? "All for You" by Sister Hazel

Do people secretly lust after me? "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" sung by Michael Buble

How can I make myself happy? "The Way you Look Tonight" sung by Michael Buble

What should I do with my life? "Queen of Hollywood" by the Corrs

Will I ever have children? "Sugar" by Imperial Teen (again... what?)

What is some good advice for me? "Rock the Boat" sung by the Hues Corporation

How Will I be remembered? "The Boy Next Door/You Made Me Love You" by Linda Eder

What is my signature dancing song? "Hold My Hand" by Hootie & the Blowfish

What do I think my current theme song is? "More Than Words" by Extreme

What does everyone else think my current theme song is? "La Strada del Bosco" Pavarotti

What type of men/women do you like? "If We Are the Body" by Casting Crowns

Ecclesiastes 7:10 & 14a

"Do not say, 'Why were the old days better than these?'
For it is not wise to aks such questions."

"When times are good, be happy;
but when times are bad, consider:
God has made the one as well as the other."

Well, it's official...

1) I'm immune to brain freeze
2) I'm a minor celebrity.

So, I have a friend who is a DJ at a local radio station. He found out that I and another friend of mine have never had a brain freeze. So... he invited us to come into the studio this morning to experience our first brain freeze. They bought two Freezonis from QT (I had the blue raspberry) and had us slurp them down as fast as possible. We did that, and neither one of us got brain freeze. We did have watery eyes, frozen esophagi and stomach aches... but NO brain freeze!! So... there you have it. I'm a genetically engineered slurpee-sucking fool. :)

Check out the broadcast here.

(I'll be available for signing autographs from 9-11 AM tomorrow morning!)

~Krista

A Question for my Brother...

David,

Now that you're all grown-up, now that you have two little girls of your own, I'm wondering... wondering if you still dislike that picture... the one I have hanging in my bathroom... the one of the little girl who is half-naked... leaning over to inspect her belly button.

Just curious.

Krista

Se Magnifique!

I cooked dinner for some friends last night (Jim, Babs and Matt... who all have birthdays within the next ten days). On the menu? Parmesan crusted chicken with sage-butter sauce, roasted potatoes with garlic and rosemary and baked asparagus. And there's only one dessert fitting for the April birthdays... Italian Cream Cake with vanilla ice cream. It's probably the most difficult meal I've ever attempted, and if I may say so, it's probably the tastiest, too! It was a day-long event, because I left for the grocery store around noon and work pretty much straight through until the meal was served at 7:30 PM. I really enjoyed it, too... though I guess I appeared "stressed" once my guests arrived. (I attribute that to the specific point in the cooking process... where everything was happening at once and required close and immediate attention.) But, I suprised myself. I shant cook like that every day, but it makes me think I could be a bit more creative in my meals (for myself and for entertaining).

Mom... you'd be so proud!! You, too, Sis!!

Me and the girls! 

Natalie (approx 8 mo) 

A Dose of Encouragement

To be honest, I wasn't looking forward to this weekend. I mean... I was, but I wasn't. The Gathering had a weekend retreat for Founding Members. Although I was looking forward to the retreat... it's been a long and fairly awful week... and last week was spent on the road (to KC and back). So, in many ways, I would have preferred to stay home this weekend. However, once I got to the retreat and had a chance to dream big with some of our other Founding Members, I was encouraged. We took time to eat together and play together. (I rather enjoyed a two hour break we had this afternoon. I took the time to just wander around the retreat property and visit with friends.) But, I REALLY enjoyed our brainstorming sessions and goal-setting. I truly appreciate the encouragement I get from being reminded I'm not alone in this great adventure God has set out for us. This weekend reminded me that we're all united in our vision to reach people for Christ here in Tulsa and abroad. It's so exciting to hear the passion of others for their ministry areas. I also feel encouraged by people who are looking to play an even greater role in the ministry.

Besides this weekend, I've been encouarged by two other people recently... one who has just recently come to know Christ and one who is still seeking. It's so exciting to have a front row seat to watch God move in the hearts of people. Isn't THAT what it's all about?

But, I suppose it's natural that all this excitement would be followed by exhaustion. I'm pooped!

G'night. (Don't forget to turn your clocks forward tonight!)

What is it about crying...

... that gets your nose all stuffed up?

This is Teo... kinda. (Remember this one, Teo? Serves you right.) 

Teo, Teo, Teo

Well, I was scorned yesterday by my friend, Teo, who complained that he was not mentioned very often on my blog-site... something about being "un-blog-worthy." I quickly pointed out that, though he was not always mentioned by name, he was often referred to as "my friend" and in the pronoun, "we." But, to make him feel better, I thought I'd mention his name here...

Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo, Teo.

Teo's name by the way is Matt, but that would be easily confused with my other friend, Matt, who I also occasionally mention. I'm not sure where "Teo" came from, although the Spanish name for Matt is "Mateo." I remember "Teo" first being popularized on a certain canoe trip... which is where my corresponding nickname, "Keo" was born.

Here are some other uses for the name "Teo"...

Go On, Get Your Teo Out!

A Different Kind Of Company. A Different Kind Of Teo.

Welcome To Teo Country.

I Was a Teo Weakling. (Ha! I'm not making this stuff up, folks!!)

Teo Really Satisfies. (Mm-hmm.)

Cleans Right Round The Teo.

Only Teo Has The Answer.

(Slogans compliments of The Advertising Slogan Generator.)

So, all I have to say now is... Teo... are you happy?

It's me...

100 Questions

I "stole" this from another friend's blog site. :)

1.First grade teacher's name: Mrs. Wakeman
2. Last word you said: "tonight”
3. Last song you sang: "Feeling Good” (singing along w/ a song by Michael Buble)
4. Last person you hugged: My niece, Natalie
5. Last thing you laughed at: My niece, Natalie?
6. Last time you said I don't remember: I don't remember
7. Last time you cried: My eyes got a bit teary talking to someone last week about my Grandpa Looney (who went to be with our Lord in 2001).

.:PRESENT:.

9. What color socks are you wearing: Mostly dark red
10. What's under your bed: Probably some dust bunnies
11. What time did you wake up today: 10:00 AM when my phone rang
12. Current taste: Toothpaste
13. Current hair: Brown with golden highlights
15. Current annoyance: An achy body. I haven’t felt well today.
16. Current longing: Health and Wellness :)
17. Current desktop background: A beautiful picture taken by my friend, Teo, in La Jolla, California, where we visited this past September. It has some daisies in the foreground and waves splashing on a rock in the background.
19. Current hate: Sore throats
20.Current favorite article of clothing: Probably my new jeans I bought for my supposed trip to Guatemala. :)
21. Favorite physical feature of the preferred sex: Smile
22. Last CD that you listened to: I’ve been transferring all my CDs to itunes, so I’ve been re-listening to a bunch of my old CD’s. Most recent may have been a “Best of U2.”
23. Favorite place to be: Coffee shop with a good friend
24. Least favorite place: Mowing my yard in the heat of the summer (most any other time, too)
25. Time you wake up: Weekdays – anytime between 5:30am and 7:30am.
26. If you could play any instrument: Guitar (have one, but don’t play it very well)
27. Favorite color(s): Fall colors – brown, navy, black, dark red
28. Do you believe in an afterlife: Yes!
29. How tall are you: 5’7”
30. Current favorite word/saying: It’s not my favorite by a long-way, but I’ve been working on perfecting my use of the words “affect” vs. “effect.” Those throw me every time!
31. Favorite book: Other than The Bible...I really like “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”
32. Favorite season: I love them all! Spring is particularly great, because everything is blooming!
33. One person from your past you wish you could go back and talk to: My Grandpa Looney

.:FUTURE:.

35. Where do you want to go for college: N/A – Been there, done that. Went to Emporia State University in Emporia, KS.
36. What is your career going to be: Who knows. I’m a CPA, but I suppose I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. :)
37. How many kids do you want: I don’t know… 2 or 3?
.:HAVE YOU EVER.:.
39. Said "I love you" and meant it?: Well, sure.
40. Gotten in a fight with your dog/cat/bird/fish, ect.: No.
41. Been to New York: Yes, it was awesome!
42.Been to Florida: Orlando only.
43. Been to California: Yes… La Jolla (suburb of San Diego) is one of my favorite places to visit!!
44. Been to Hawaii: Nope.
45.Been to Mexico: Yes – a couple of times. Once to Juarez (just across the border from El Paso) for a missions trip in college and twice to Ensenada (just south of Tijuana, Mexico and San Diego) for work… I used to have an audit client down there. That’s how I was introduced to San Diego and La Jolla! It was awesome!
46. Been to China: Nope.
48. Dreamed something really crazy and then it happened the next day: Not that I can think of.

.:RANDOM:.

What happened to 49-51???

52. Do you have a crush on someone: “Crushes” are so elementary.
53. What book are you reading now? I’m reading several, but the one I’m reading for “fun” is “700 Sundays” by Billy Crystal.
54. Worst feeling in the world: Crushing my finger in a broken chair at Chili’s. Ouch!!
55. What is the first thing you think when you wake in the morning?: Do I HAVE to get up?
56. How many rings before you answer: 3 or 4. I like to answer earlier, but I usually have to run through my house looking for the cordless phone.
57. Future daughter's name: I really like Luella, but I haven’t completely decided I want to subject a child to it. I’ve heard it recently, though, so maybe it’s gaining some popularity. I believe it was my great-great Grandmother’s name.
58. Future son's name: Grandma Looney has started naming them for me. I believe Gabriel is at the top of the list. :)
59. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal: Not most of the time.
60. If you could have any job you wanted: I would be independently wealthy and be able to volunteer my time.
61. Who do you wish was with you? I sometimes wish my family was closer.
62. College plans: Again… been there, done that.
63. Piercings: One in each of my ear lobes. That’s it… promise, Mom!!
.:THE EXTRA STUFF:.
64.Do you do drugs: No way!
65. Do you drink: Not usually
67. What kind of Shampoo and Conditioner do you use: Right now… Aussie, or whatever that stuff’s called. Sometimes Herbal Essence.
68. What are you most scared of: Sharks… and someone breaking into my house at night.
69. What clothes do you sleep in: Pajama pants or shorts and a T-shirt, generally.
70. Who is the last person that called you: Melody… to see if we were still on for breakfast this morning.
71. Where do you want to get married: Tulsa… I suppose, though I’m not “married” to the idea.
72. If you could change anything about yourself what would that be: I wouldn’t be so busy all the time. I think that would lead to a variety of other healthy changes.
73.Who do you really hate: Pine nuts.
74. Been In Love: Yes… there’s a car I’ve been eyeing lately… :) Oh.. with a person? I’d rather leave that to your imagination.
75. Are you timely or always late: I’m very punctual.
76. Do you have a job: Yes.
77. Do you like being around people: Yes, very much, though a certain amount of alone time is healthy, too.
78. Best feeling in the world: Loving and being loved... or losing my stomach on a roller coaster :)
79. Are you for world peace: Um… duh.
80. Are you a health freak: No, unfortunately not, though I don’t mind healthy foods.
81. Do you have a "Type" of person you always go after?: Someone who is grounded and growing in their relationship with Jesus Christ.
82. Do you want someone you don't have: Always have, probably always will.
83. Are you lonely right now: Not this moment, but it’s not unusual.
84. Ever afraid you'll never get married: I wouldn’t say “afraid.” It’d just be nice to know.
85. Do you want to get married: Yes. I think I’d enjoy it. Plus, it would be nice to have someone with whom to serve.
86. Do you want kids: I think so… though I’ve noticed they’re an AWFUL lot of work

.:IN THE LAST 48 HOURS, HAVE YOU:.

87. Cried: No
88. Bought Something: Yes... groceries, coffee product from Starbucks and 2 meals
89. Gotten Sick: Maybe… I haven’t completely diagnosed my current condition, but I’m not feeling real well – weird throat, sore muscles, stiffness, etc.
90. Sang: Not too much… maybe along with a CD or the radio.
91. Said I Love You: Yes… I’m sure I probably said that to my family (sister, bro-in-law and niece) as they were leaving.
92. Wanted To Tell Someone You Loved them: I suppose.
93. Met Someone: No one new… but maybe tonight.
94. Moved On: No.
95. Talked To Someone: Yeah… quite a few someones… (
96. Had A Serious Talk: No.
97. Missed Someone: No.
98. Hugged Someone: Chelle, John and Natalie
99. Yelled at Someone: No.
100. Dreamed About Someone You Can't Be With: Is that a “literal” dream or “figurative” dream? Until I know, I’ll refrain from answering.

MB

Wow! I went to see Michael Buble in concert tonight. He was pretty amazing. I expected the singing to be awesome, but he turned out to be quite an entertainer as well. He did some impressions and made a fair amount of jokes. I was a bit disappointed at some of the swearing and off-colored jokes, as I would have expected it to be a "G-rated," family-friendly show. In fact, there were two young children sitting in front of us. But, save that, it was excellent. His voice is so clean and smooth. My two favorite songs are "Home" and "Feeling Good." You can see the videos here.

I was also excited to learn that the poet, Billy Collins, will be in Tulsa at the end of April. I have one or two of his books, but one of my all-time favorite poems of his is "The Lanyard." My question to you is this... does the poem make you laugh or shed a tear? Apparently it's produced both responses. I'd like to know what yours is.

A nugget of wisdom from the side of a Starbucks cup

"It's difficult for people to get rid of junk. They get attached to things and let them define who they are. If there's one thing I've learned... it's that you are what you can't let go of."

-Brian Scudamore, Founder and CEO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?

What can't you let go of?

itunes

Well, I've discovered itunes. :)

Exposed

I was reminded this evening of a funny story...

One weekend, quite some time ago, I spent a good bit my Saturday cleaning my bathroom floor... mopped it "hands-and-knees" style until it was spotless. I spent the balance of the day working in the yard. I don't know about you, but when I mow the yard and do lawn work, I'm usually covered from head-to-toe in dirt and grass clippings. This particular day, I came inside and stripped down so as to not track everything through the house. But, when I got to the bathroom, I stood in the doorway wondering how I was going to get across to the shower without getting the perfectly clean, white-tiled floor dirty. I had been standing there a few moments when I looked up and realized that I had opened the blinds while cleaning the bathroom!!

I quickly forgot about the white tiles. :)

Happiness is a cigar named Serendipity

Yeah, I don't know what the subject title is supposed to mean. I went back to that slogan generator website and tried it with the word "serendipity," which is one of my all-time favorite words.

I've been a bit down this week... no particular reason for it. I guess maybe it could do with the fact that I'm supposed to be in Guatemala, and instead, I'm forced to be in my same old boring routine. But, beyond that, I have no real reason to complain. (Though that won't stop me...) I'm a bit frustrated by my yard. It needs some major attention. Part of me is anxious to get out there and work on it, but the other part of me is completely apathetic... wondering if it wouldn't be better to still be in an apartment. I sat out on my porch for a bit tonight... something I've been a bit timid to do lately. It was enjoyable... nice weather... nice light breeze. I was a bit startled, though, when a vehicle pulled up and stopped in front of my house. It was just my neighbor from two doors down inviting me to a "purse party" at her house on Sunday.

I had more I was going to say about my dullness of mood, but those thoughts are probably better left unwritten. :)

Grounded

Well, most of you probably know by now that the trip to Guatemala was canceled... within 17 hours of take-off. :( I guess the building supplies didn't clear customs, so the trip was postponed. Hopefully I'll be able to go if it's rescheduled... though my passport expires later this month. I guess we'll see what happens. I went ahead and took today off work... since no one expected me to be there this week anyway. It was an enjoyable day... slept until 8-ish, got up and went to walk at La Fortune Park (while talking to Mom on my cell phone), visited with Babs and got to watch Baby Luke for awhile and researched about non-profit accounting software on-line. Oh, I almost forgot... I also voted. All-in-all it's been a good day... great day, actually. I think I could be happy not working (in a regular job anyway).

I'm also caught up on 24... though it took 12 hours of viewing, instead of the 8 I mentioned in my last blog posting. Had I gone to Guatemala, I'd probably be a couple of SEASONS behind by the time I got back.

Well, since I'm going back to work tomorrow, I s'pose I should get in bed.

G'night, All!!

Abstinence

Well, I'm not sure I blogged about it, but we finally finished the first season of "24." It was awesome, though I was very disturbed by the turn of events in the last episode. :( To quote Matt, "I'm not sure I'm up for another season... it's quite an investment of time" (or something to that effect). I was a bit disappointed to hear that, though I can certainly understand the sentiment.

Well, Mom and Dad were in town this weekend. Mom had her nose stuck in a Janette Oke book, so we didn't have much interaction with her. ;) JK, Mom. (I'm glad you enjoyed your book.) We had a nice time visiting, eating out and doing a bit of shopping/preparation for Guatemala. (Dad and I leave on Friday!!!!)

Jump to Sunday night when Matt stopped by my house to pick up the DVD player he'd loaned me. He came in, and the first thing he said was, "I have something to tell you, but you're going to be mad at me." I was a bit dumbfounded at first, because it would take an awful lot for me to be mad at Matt. I was trying to imagine what bomb he had to drop. (I'm sure all of you reading can see where this is going.) He went on to tell me that he had watched the first EIGHT episodes of Season 2 of "24." EIGHT EPISODES!!!!! Not one, not two... EIGHT!!! And to compound matters, I'm going to be out of the country for ten days. Who thinks Matt possesses the self-control it will take to refrain from further "24" viewings until I'm home? Yeah... me either. :)

The Ultimate Stain Remover...

Since some of you asked... yes! Vinegar is an effective agent at removing coffee stains. It comes with my highest recommendation. :)

Michael Buble & Aqualung

These are two of my newest CD's. I like them both very much. MB will be in Tulsa in March! I already have my tickets to go. I particularly enjoy his song, "Home."

On a more interesting note... I have a headache. Okay, maybe that's not more interesting. :)

Vinegar...

... it's the coffee stain remover. :)

Well, well, well... it's been awhile. I'll do my best to catch you all up. Skiing... Winter Park... last week... with Tim, Laurel, baby Seth, Carrie and Matt. A good time was had by all, and we didn't have any major mishaps. I'll tell you this, though, there is just nothing like snow skiing. I wish there was, because it pains me to only be able to ski three our of 365 days a year. It's the most amazing thing... being out in God's creation... freezing my rear off. I'd also be in much better shape if I could ski a bit more often.

I arrived back home last Wednesday night, so Thursday night started with a phone call from my neighbor telling me that our neighborhood was under a police barracade and helicopter search due to some sort of criminal being in or around our neighborhood. Fortunately they were gone when I arrived home; however, I didn't have a warm-fuzzy feeling. That pretty much passed when everyone showed up for small group. We had 20 this week!! Wow! It's fun packing my house out like that, though I know some folks are not likely to keep coming if we have such a large crowd. That's why I'm happy that we'll be starting another new small group in the next few weeks!

Other news... coffee stains... I got those as we were pulling out of Winter Park last Wednesday morning. We stopped for some coffee, and I ended up spilling a good deal of it on myself. Fortunately it didn't get all over Matt's X5 (he likely woulda killed me). But, I was coffee-stained for the entire trip. After doing a bit of research on-line, I learned that vinegar is a good agent for removing coffee stains. I've tried it, and the jeans are in the dryer as I write this. (Please keep your fingers crossed!) They looked pretty good coming out of the dryer, but sometimes wet clothes can have a misleading appearance. So hopefully I'm not locking in a nasty coffee stain.

Lastly... I've now received all of my shots for my upcoming trip to Guatemala. Those include shots for... typhoid, hepatitis A, tetanus and measles. I also got a flu shot, since I was already being pricked. :) And I've just driven over to Walgreens to pick up my chloroquine medication - that's an oral medication to protect me from Malaria. Ah... the joys of being over-medicated and protected from foreign agents in random Spanish-speaking countries. :)

Hasta luego!

Okay, I know I said I was going to bed, but...

I just read David's blog, and I felt like I should blog a bit about my week. It's been kind of a crazy week. Our pastor at The Gathering lost his 27 year old brother this week. (I don't mean he can't find him, I mean he died tragically.) There are also other random issues facing some of our leaders. So, Wednesday night, I had some bizarre dreams - nightmares actually - that seemed very spiritually charged. I woke up feeling attacked spiritually. I spent a bit of time in prayer - just praying for everyone in my small group and at The Gathering... praying for protection and encouragement... also thanking God for each of them. Another girl in our group told me she had a similar occurrence Wednesday night - woke up, sat straight up in bed and just felt attacked. Most of the time we just float through life, not thinking too much about the situations and circumstances around us, but now that we're really stepping out to follow God in this huge way, we've started to see the opposition work against us. And why wouldn't we? The Bible tells us that when we're following Christ, we're going to face persecution.

So, several verses have come to mind this week... James 1:2, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds..." And tonight at small group, we took a look at Ephesians 6, where it talks about wearing the full armor of God for protection.

I met with several friends last night for a time of prayer - just encouraging one another and falling on our faces before God to ask for his strength and support. What an AWESOME God we serve!! "God's will is not always easy, but it's always right." (That's a quote from someone. Maybe Tozer?)

Slopes of Pure Happiness

Well, sports fans... We're under 36 hours to ski-time. :) We're going to head out early Saturday morning, so I've started in on the packing. At this point, I'm just biding my time until then. I thought about taking a sick day tomorrow, as I've had some sort of sinus infection a good deal of the week. But, I will probably go in to work... at least for awhile... if for no other reason than I can't find my cell phone and think it's possibly sitting in my office. I also lost my drivers license recently, but I've rectified the situation. I thought it might be helpful to get a new license since I may be driving this weekend. And, I figured Matt would appreciate it, since I'll be driving the X5. :) :) :)

I'd love to talk more but I should really be in bed. I wanted to say "bye," because I may not have time to blog tomorrow evening.

G-bye, folks!!

Fill It To The Rim With Krista.

Happiness is Krista-Shaped.

Make Room for the Krista.

I'm a Secret Krista Drinker.

http://www.thesurrealist.co.uk/slogan.cgi?word=

11 hours and counting

Well... I've watched three more episodes of 24... and that was after a Super Bowl party at The Gathering last night. It was a good crowd... lots of food, games and fun. During the half-time, we had a "Gathering Idol" competition. They had six individuals/teams perform a variety of songs - everything from "Achy, Breaky Heart" to "Oops! I did it Again." It was pretty entertaining. Fortunately I avoided the stage. I did, however, participate in another contest where I and a variety of other contestants had to eat ten crackers and try to be the first to whistle. It took a good while just to get the crackers down. I didn't win. :(

So, my question is this... who won the game?

:)

Okay... I'm exhausted... probably from the late-night 24-watching session. G'night, all!

Marathon

I know, I know... I should be in bed, but I thought I'd take a minute to blog before crawling in. :)

As you all know by now, The Gathering is planting a new church in Tulsa. So obviously, there's a lot of work to be done. We have a "launch team" that is working through the details of incorporation, fundraising, budgeting, researching facilities, etc. So, we're meeting every other week, as we have been for some time. Today was a regularly scheduled meeting... held at my house. The meeting is supposed to be from 10 AM to about 12:30 PM, but we're notorious for running late. We met until closer to 2 or 2:30 PM. However, a couple of folks stayed past (about 3-3.5 hours past) that time to discuss additional topics. So, needless to say, that made for an awfully long meeting. I was fairly wiped out afterwards.

The remainder of the evening was plenty enjoyable though... dinner w/ Jim, Babs and Matt at Pei Wei... then back to Matt's for a movie - Zorro. (It's a bit cheesy if you ask me.) But we yucked it up for a bit and, as always, enjoyed the fellowship.

With that said... I'm off to bed. Sleep well, everyone!

"There are some weeks I have quite a pile of socks collected there!"

I realize it's now 4-5 weeks into the New Year, but I just ran across this "NEW YEAR'S GAME" in another blog, and thought it was interesting. You're supposed to "tag" others, but I'll just leave it here. If you happen to read it, I'd encourage you to follow the steps below...

1. Go into your oldest blog post
2. Find your 24th post (or closest to)
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to)
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions

Have fun. My sentence is in the title of this entry. :)